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Holy Week Procession, Guatemala

This photo was taken during a procession in Antigua Guatemala during Holy Week.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The light shining through the smoke creates an aura of mystery perfectly in sync with the event itself. Being eye level with the faces in the crowd, I feel an intimacy with it, almost as if I were there. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot. Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

In the Christian tradition, holy week is a journey from the defeat of the crucifixion to the triumph of the resurrection. In this photo from Ms Levesque we witness the Easter celebration of the victory over death in Antigua. Jesus has risen from the dead and his godhead is carried aloft on the heads of locals. This is done in all the majesty that human imagination projects onto a supreme being. His flowing white robes have gold trimmings and He floats above humanity as if on a cloud.

The use of black and white drains the more gaudy colours out of the picture and gives it an aesthetic appeal. The backlit statue prevents us from seeing details of the face, just as if it was too intense to gaze upon the image of God. I understand the rationale for these choices, but they are not to my taste. Furthermore, the dour faces belie the celebration and the tourist taking a photo spoils the shot.